The trains in Europe are the true highlights of travel, let's face it. In addition to being quick, picturesque, and reasonably priced (if you know where to find), they also have the romantic appeal of letting the world pass by through a large window. Cheap train journeys Europe has a certain allure that airplanes simply cannot match. You float across breathtakingly stunning scenery that feels like postcards come to life rather than being launched into the clouds.
Cheap train trips in Europe provide a different kind of luxury—the kind that whispers rather than shouts—while the storied Orient Express may take all the glitz (and your funds). The type that you can truly afford. What's the best part? To experience it, you don't have to spend more than £50.
If you’ve got a backpack, an appetite for beauty, and a little wanderlust, these 10 affordable train tours across cheap train journeys Europe will have you booking tickets faster than you can say “window seat, please.”
1. Vienna to Salzburg, Austria
Think: Sound of Music landscapes on a budget. This two-and-a-bit hour train ride is a dreamy cruise through Austria’s alpine heart—think green meadows, glassy lakes, and villages that look like gingerbread houses.
Cheap train tickets in Europe hover around £25, and the views? Honestly priceless. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a Julie Andrews montage. It’s one of those cheap train journeys Europe quietly offers that somehow feels like a first-class experience—without the first-class price tag.
2. Brussels to Bruges, Belgium
This one’s for the fairytale seekers. In just over an hour and for less than £15, you’ll trade city bustle for Bruges’ cobbled alleys, canals, and chocolate-scented air. No joke—Belgium knows how to charm.
The ride rolls past tidy farms and sleepy Flemish towns, each one a snapshot of countryside calm. It's hands down one of the best cheap train travel experiences in cheap train journeys Europe—easy, quick, and stunningly photogenic.
3. Munich to Füssen, Germany
A two-hour ride from Munich drops you in the shadow of Neuschwanstein Castle—the actual inspiration for Disney’s Cinderella castle. And the journey itself? As Bavarian as it gets: rolling meadows, pine forests, and the Alps slowly rising in the distance.
It’s usually under £30, which is wild considering the cinematic backdrop. Affordable train tours Europe don’t get more storybook than cheap train journeys Europe.
4. Milan to Lake Como, Italy
If you're craving dolce vita vibes but not the price tag, this is your ride. In just 40 minutes and under £10 (yes, really), you’ll glide from Milan’s hustle to Lake Como’s hush.
As the train cuts through vineyards and rustic villages, the Alps start to peek in from the north. And then—bam—Como. Blue water. Villas. That sweet, slow-life feeling. For a budget trip, it feels incredibly luxe.
5. Prague to Český Krumlov, Czech Republic
Let’s talk hidden gems. Český Krumlov is often left out of Czech itineraries—and I don’t get why. The three-hour train ride from Prague costs less than a tenner, but it takes you to one of cheap train journeys Europe’s most enchanting towns.
Forests, hills, sleepy hamlets—it’s all there, like a slow cinematic panning shot. Then you arrive to cobbled streets, a hilltop castle, and the Vltava River curling through town like it’s posing for your photos.
6. Barcelona to Tarragona, Spain
The ride from Barcelona to Tarragona is barely an hour—seriously, you’ll blink and be there—but wow, what an hour. And get this: it only costs around £8. Eight pounds! That’s less than a fancy sandwich in the city. And the view? Oh, it’s the kind of view that makes you instinctively reach for your phone, even though deep down you know no camera’s ever going to do it justice.
7. Warsaw to Kraków, Poland
Okay, this one’s more about depth than dazzle—but that doesn’t mean it’s not beautiful. For around £15, the four-hour ride between Warsaw and Kraków slices through Poland’s soul—wooded stretches, little towns, and golden fields that feel like they’ve stood still for decades.
And Kraków? It’s vibrant, historic, and buzzing with life. From ancient synagogues to underground jazz bars, it’s a city that surprises. One of the best cheap train journeys Europe offers for both the mind and the spirit.
8. Paris to Rouen, France
Fancy a getaway from Paris that doesn’t involve selling a kidney? Rouen is calling. This under-two-hour journey costs less than £20 and takes you from Eiffel Tower selfies to medieval calm.
Gothic spires, cobbled alleys, and riverside cafés—it’s like France took a deep breath here. Affordable train tours Europe are often underrated, but this one’s a quiet revelation.
9. Ljubljana to Lake Bled, Slovenia
If this were a movie, the genre would be “Soft Fantasy.” For just over £5, the one-hour train from Ljubljana to Lake Bled feels like the opening sequence to a love story. Mountains loom, forests whisper, and then—Bled.
There’s a lake with a tiny island church, surrounded by snow-dusted peaks. You’ll want to cry a little. It’s absurdly pretty. And did I mention it’s barely the cost of a sandwich?
10. Budapest to Eger, Hungary
Vineyards. Rolling hills. A medieval town known for its thermal baths and baroque charm. This two-hour, £10 journey is the definition of underrated.
Eger is where wine meets history, and the train ride there gives you a slow, beautiful build-up. One of the cheapest train ticket booking app options with the highest reward.
Cheap train travel in Europe isn’t just possible—it’s magical. It’s quiet mornings sipping coffee from a train station kiosk. It’s the soft rocking of the carriage as fields drift past. It’s arriving in a place you never knew you needed.
These scenic, cheap train journeys Europe generously offers aren’t just about saving money. They’re about reclaiming the joy of slow travel. They're about seeing the world not from 35,000 feet, but from eye level—real, moving, alive.
So, next time you feel the itch to explore? Forget the flight. Book the train from Trainline. Find the window seat. Let cheap train journeys Europe roll past you like a painting in motion.
1. How can I get a cheap rail ticket?
To compare prices and save a lot of money on inexpensive train tickets in cheap train journeys Europe, plan ahead, take off-peak travel, and make use of resources like Trainline, the cheapest train ticket booking app software.
2. Which European country is best for train travel?
Switzerland has the glam views, no doubt. But if we’re talking efficiency and affordability, Germany and Italy are top-tier. Austria and the Czech Republic are strong contenders too!
